PTA Logic Puzzles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: All PTA students must complete a clinical internship. Alex is a PTA student. Which conclusion MUST be true?
- Alex has already finished the internship
- Alex must complete a clinical internship (Correct answer)
- Alex is currently in an internship
- Alex will work in a hospital
Correct answer: Alex must complete a clinical internship
The universal rule applies directly to Alex, so he must complete a clinical internship.
Question 2: If every therapist who works weekends earns overtime, and Sam does not earn overtime, what can you conclude?
- Sam works weekends
- Sam does not work weekends (Correct answer)
- Sam is not a therapist
- Sam works overtime on weekdays
Correct answer: Sam does not work weekends
By modus tollens (contrapositive), if weekend work causes overtime and Sam has no overtime, Sam does not work weekends.
Question 3: All patients in Stage 3 rehab may use the pool. Some Stage 3 patients have knee injuries. Which statement MUST be true?
- All patients with knee injuries may use the pool
- Some patients with knee injuries may use the pool (Correct answer)
- No patients with knee injuries use the pool
- Knee injuries are treated only in the pool
Correct answer: Some patients with knee injuries may use the pool
The intersection of Stage 3 and knee-injury patients can use the pool, so some knee-injury patients qualify.
Question 4: A protocol requires balance training before strength training, and strength training before sport-specific drills. Maria is performing sport-specific drills. What must have already occurred?
- Only balance training
- Only strength training
- Both balance training and strength training (Correct answer)
- Neither — she may have skipped steps
Correct answer: Both balance training and strength training
Sport-specific drills require strength training, which in turn requires balance training, so both must have been completed.
Question 5: No patient may be discharged without a home exercise program. Some patients in acute care do not yet have a home exercise program. What conclusion follows?
- All acute care patients are ready for discharge
- Some acute care patients are not ready for discharge (Correct answer)
- No acute care patients need home exercise programs
- Acute care patients are never discharged
Correct answer: Some acute care patients are not ready for discharge
Those lacking a home exercise program cannot be discharged, so some acute care patients are not yet ready.
Question 6: A patient improves after treatment A. Treatment A is always less intensive than treatment B. Therefore, treatment B was used for this patient. Is this reasoning valid?
- Yes, because B is more intensive than A
- No, improvement from A does not require that B was administered (Correct answer)
- Yes, because improvement requires the most effective treatment
- No, because A and B treat different conditions
Correct answer: No, improvement from A does not require that B was administered
Improving with treatment A does not logically entail that treatment B was also given; the conclusion is unsupported.
Question 7: Three therapists — Ava, Ben, and Cal — each specialize in exactly one area: hands, backs, or knees. Ava does not treat backs. Ben treats knees. What does Ava treat?
- Backs
- Knees
- Hands (Correct answer)
- Cannot be determined
Correct answer: Hands
Ben takes knees and Ava is excluded from backs, so by elimination Ava must treat hands.
PTA Logic Puzzles 2
All PTA students must complete a clinical internship.
Alex is a PTA student.
Which conclusion MUST be true?